[Vwdiesel] Anyone try this? (To have a warm, toasty car)

Fri Dec 18 16:08:58 PST 2009

I'd hate to see you cool the motor off so very much when that's what the
intended goal of the circulating heater.  Unless you've had one before, you
wouldn't know that if you have a 1000w coolant heater warming just the motor
it starts and blows warm air almost immediately, the coolant acting like a
big heat capacitor.  There is a short drop in heater temp until the
combustion heat soaks through the head, then it's warm again, nothing like
the hellish half hour deep freeze you experience from using just a block
heater. How cold is cold for you Eric? I forget where you live. But a car
warmer on a timer is pretty bulletproof.  I have a 900w one in use, and at
-30C, it's just barely warm in the car anyway, and the seats are still
stiff.  Stealing heat from the engine may not get you the effect you desire,
while losing enough heat to not start any better than just a block heater.
Might just be better to have the engine toasty, so you get full heater
output sooner. 
-james

> -----Original Message-----
> From: vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com [mailto:vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com]
> On Behalf Of Dave Cook
> Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 3:47 PM
> To: VW Diesel Group
> Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Anyone try this? (To have a warm, toasty car)
> 
> Aah, good idea, Erik.  I guess there is no reason to need to provide
> all the voltage to the fan, and giving it less voltage would
> essentially be like the reisistor so the fan wouldn't know the
> difference.
> 
> If the blower switch was in the off position, then I think that would
> isolate it from the rest of the car and energizing other things.
> (Assuming my transformer was wired in upstream of the dial switch.)
> 
> Maybe what I could do is put the pump on a timer with a small battery
> charger, so both are going at the same time.  Then, a few minutes
> before I leave, go and turn the key and fan on and let it blow around.
> Then start and unplug when I am ready to go.  The charger would keep
> the battery from being completely flat when I go to start it after the
> fan ran...  Maybe not...
> 
> 
> 
> Dave Cook
> 
> 
> --- On Fri, 12/18/09, Erik Lane <eriklane at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > From: Erik Lane <eriklane at gmail.com>
> > Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Anyone try this? (To have a warm, toasty car)
> > To: "VW Diesel Group" <vwdiesel at vwfans.com>
> > Date: Friday, December 18, 2009, 8:49 PM
> > I would use one small relay rather
> > than diodes for isolation, just to keep
> > from losing the .6V at the diode. (I would put the relay in
> > the existing
> > circuit and then have a plug so that when the converter
> > wasn't plugged in
> > that wouldn't be connected to anything.)
> >
> > If you're using a converter, you might be able to only give
> > the fan 5-8V or
> > so and run it at a slower speed, while still bypassing the
> > resistor. (Those
> > numbers are just guesses - I've never checked what the
> > voltages are of the
> > different fan speeds.)
> >
> > Yes, it would take a little bit of figuring out, but it
> > wouldn't be all that
> > hard.
> >
> > Erik
> >
> > On Fri, Dec 18, 2009 at 12:28 PM, James Hansen <jhsg at sasktel.net>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Some small hurdles that I can think of.
> > > Energizing fan will also energize the rest of that
> > circuit.
> > > Running outside air through the heater core when it's
> > really cold with fan
> > > on high will extract most if not all available heat
> > that the circulating
> > > heater provides. I know the heater core can remove
> > enough heat to cool the
> > > engine off at -30.  That's going from warm motor
> > fan on med to fan on high
> > > at -30, the temp gauge drops like a fallen stone in
> > city driving.
> > > Cost of a suitable transformer and isolation diodes
> > plus all the work may
> > > dwarf the cost of a car warmer.
> > > Sintered bronze fan motor bearings seem to develop a
> > taste for lube.  Once
> > > they get it once, they squeal to high heaven every few
> > weeks wanting more.
> > > -james
> > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com
> > [mailto:vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com]
> > > > On Behalf Of Dave Cook
> > > > Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 2:01 PM
> > > > To: VW Diesel Group
> > > > Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Anyone try this? (To have
> > a warm, toasty car)
> > > >
> > > > I figured the easiest way to do it would be to
> > tie directly into the
> > > > 12v for high speed and bypass the resistor pack,
> > partly for this reason
> > > > and partly because it seemed simplist.  I
> > could probably just get a 12v
> > > > converter and plug it in with the heater and
> > splice into the wiring for
> > > > speed 4.  If I do this, I may consider
> > taking it apart and greasing the
> > > > bearings.  Did someone do a writeup on
> > this?  (Lubing the bearings)
> > > >
> > > > Having a block heater is nice, but having a warm
> > car every morning
> > > > would be stellar!
> > > >
> > > > Dave Cook
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- On Fri, 12/18/09, Will Taygan <william at taygan.com>
> > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > From: Will Taygan <william at taygan.com>
> > > > > Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Anyone try
> > this?  (To have a warm, toasty
> > > > car)
> > > > > To: "vwdiesel" <vwdiesel at audifans.com>
> > > > > Date: Friday, December 18, 2009, 4:48 PM
> > > > > Make sure your fan is good, and/or
> > > > > don't use the lowest
> > speed.   When
> > > > > it's really cold out, then fan needs enough
> > power to spin
> > > > > up and
> > > > > overcome those cold thick bearings.
> > I've burned out a
> > > > > resistor pack
> > > > > idling with the fan on low in the '91 eco.
> > > > >
> > > > > Will in Alaska
> > > > >
> > > > > On Thu, 2009-12-17 at 22:40 -0800, Dave Cook
> > wrote:
> > > > > > I'm ordering a circulating coolant
> > heater for my
> > > > > Cabriolet because, well, I hate being cold.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > So what I'm thinking about is rigging
> > up something so
> > > > > that when power is going to the heater, the
> > blower fan is
> > > > > running too.  I figure that way, I
> > could plug both in
> > > > > and if I have the lever slid to hot and the
> > other lever slid
> > > > > to defrost, I could have a clear windshield
> > and toasty car
> > > > > in a short time without letting it sit
> > idling.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Before I try to invent this, I was just
> > wondering if
> > > > > anyone else has already and can offer
> > advice?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Dave Cook
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
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